Chapter 38 - Hotel California by nothing1special1here1 (Lucifer)

Summary: Chloe had no idea how this happened. This morning she was killing herself trying to find a new apartment for her and Trixie so they wouldn't be reduced to homelessness. When Lucifer shows up and offers up his apartment as a temporary home. "Think of it as a hotel," He purred, "A wonderful hotel you wouldn't be able to afford otherwise."Chloe kicked him in the shin for that. Hard.

Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13176907/1/Hotel-California

Word count:88k+

Chapters:9

Chapter 1: The Devil Will Always Be A Gentleman

~.~

Chloe was sitting on a stool near her kitchen counter when Lucifer came strolling in, took in the mess of boxes, and began to criticize.

All without being invited in might she add.

"What on earth are you thinking Detective? Moving out? You barely just got this place, it doesn't seem very smart of you to abandon ship."

Chloe gritted her teeth at Lucifer's, 'I'm smart you're dumb, now worship me' tone. She was already on edge with everything going on, and Lucifer usually did more harm than good when it came to her personal issues. It was all part of his packaged deal, Chloe knew and had long ago accepted this. But right now she really couldn't deal with him.

Apparently, even the vein throbbing on her forehead wasn't enough to get him to shut up, surprise surprise.

Lucifer inspected a nearby cabinet with mild distaste. "I mean this place isn't too terrible, not amazing, but I suppose it gets the job done. Are you finally coming to your senses about choosing a better home? I applaud your efforts but I don't think this is the best of timing Detective, I must say, I'm surprised at you."

Pulling tight on her messy ponytail, Chloe screwed her eyes shut and let out a few deep breaths.

Murder is illegal. Murder is illegal. Murder is illegal.

"I realize that Lucifer," She spat out, standing up to clean the mess of papers that were scattered about her countertop. "It's just that with Maze moving out, I can't exactly afford this place on my own."

An uncomfortable lull filled the room, Chloe almost apologized, but decided against it. It wasn't like she did anything wrong, she shouldn't have to feel guilty about anything. If anything, she should want him to feel like crap, after all, he's the one who drove her friend away. He's the reason why she couldn't bring herself to go into Mazes room, her empty threats about going in still ringing in her ears.

It's his fault why Chloe still wraps up the leftovers and sets them out on the table for her friend to take for work, it's his fault why she can't bring herself to stop writing sticky notes with good mornings or goodnights for a friend who won't even look at her.

Some days she forgets she lives alone now, and she pastes the colorful notes on her friend's door, under Chloe's elegant 'Morning Maze! Left breakfast out on the counter, can u pick up Trix pls?' Maze would scribble a 'You're lucky I like ur kid, and that u make kickass waffles' Never without a childish doodle of a penis.

It would never fault to get an eye roll and a chortle out of her.

It's Lucifer's fault why all her notes went unanswered, and she ended up eating all the leftovers the day after, why she stops and stares at the knife marks her friend left all over their apartment. It's his fault her daughter is left heartbroken from losing her best friend, leaving Chloe helpless, unable to take away her pain.

Before Chloe could demand an apology out of him, she made the mistake of looking up.

And there was Lucifer, left staring intently at the ground, his foot tracing invisible patterns on the floor, his mouth was in a straight line as he kept peering up at her through his sinfully thick lashes. Chloe wished he was smirking, it was so easy to want to punch him when he was smiling. Because if Chloe was missing Maze, who she had known for only a year, she couldn't even begin to imagine how much guilt was swallowing up Lucifer, while she stood and watched.

Tone down the bitch to a two Chlo' She thought to herself.

"My apologies Detective, I know it's my fault you are sans roommate," Lucifer murmured, fumbling with his fingers as he shot her an apprehensive smile that didn't reach his eyes."And friend. It was not my intention to drive Maze away."

Chloe's frown deepened, this is why she avoided being petty, it almost always ended up blowing up in her face. She still didn't know the full story behind Maze up and leaving, but she knew better than to pry for details. Sure, Lucifer never lied, but he definitely always held back the full truth from her. And she was just so tired of it, of him lying to her face, of begging him to just let her in and trust her.

It hurt her more than she cared to admit that he would rather sit and suffer than confide in her.

Chloe cleared her throat, neatly tucking away her papers into a folder. "Anyways, rent is due next week so I have a couple of days, tops, to find another place," Chloe rubbed her temple in frustration, biting her lip out of habit. "Which is exactly what I need right now."

"Is that what's put you in such a charming mood?" Lucifer asked, smiling sympathetically.

Chloe chuckled. "Yeah, sorry for taking it out on you Lucifer, I don't mean it."

Lucifer waved away her apology, reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his silver flask that was worth at least more than her car. He offered it to her, a smile gracing his lips. She refused with a laugh, leave it to Lucifer to start drinking before noon. He shrugged before throwing back a large gulp, Chloe grimaced just from the smell.

"Any luck?" He asked with a smack of his lips.

Chloe shook her head, her loose ponytail beginning to come undone. "Anything close to Trixie's school is way out of my price range, and the apartments I can afford are gross, and way too small for us," Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose to keep her frustration in check. "I don't know, I may have to crash at Dan's for a couple of weeks."

Lucifer sputtered into his flask, causing him to cough violently, spilling the drink across the floor. Some of the liquid dribbled down his chin and onto his silk shirt and freshly pressed trousers, Chloe watched in disgust as Lucifer attempted to recollect himself.

She pretended not to notice his ears tinged pink.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked, throwing napkins at his face and pointed to the spill on her recently cleaned floor. "Gross, you're cleaning that up."

Lucifer was already crouching down on the floor, cleaning his mess with a scowl in an attempt to preserve whatever dignity he still had left. He rose up with a flourish that came only with years of money and practiced grace. Chloe felt a smile tug at her lips watching Lucifer throw away the moist napkins before she could blink his long legs carried him in front of her in quick strides. He leaned on his elbows on the counter, letting his palms cradle his face as he grinned at her if Chloe moved forward their noses would be touching.

She hated admitting how amazing he smelled, always of expensive cologne mixed with strong whiskey. With a tinge of tea leaves, that, she had no idea where it came from, maybe he just always smelled like that.

"Detective you cannot possibly be considering moving in with Daniel," He chided, tisking at her frown as if she were a child. "He lives in this ridiculous little bachelor pad, with hardly enough space for himself, let alone you and your child."

Damn. He had her there.

"How-You've been to Dan's apartment?"

"You don't really want to move in with him," Lucifer announced ignoring her question, standing straight before shuffling his feet and looking down at her. Chloe couldn't remember a time when Lucifer was ever shy, yet here he was. "Do you, Detective?"

She hated how well he knew her.

He knew it would be a huge blow to her pride to go to Dan, she took great satisfaction in being able to provide for herself and her daughter. She always felt uncomfortable relying on others, it was a trait that sometimes frustrated her coworkers and family but she didn't care, she liked that about herself. Very rarely did Chloe crumble, and when she did, she made sure to get right back on her feet, because ever since her father's death she had to always be standing tall.

Dan never seemed to like that about her.

Even though they had managed to work out their broken marriage into a stable friendship, it didn't change the fact that Dan couldn't read her for the life of him.

That wasn't his fault, he always meant well. But if she took him up on his offer then he would spend the day codling her, constantly interrupt a case to text her about their plans that could always wait, hover around her excessively and be in her face with questions.

But she would be willing to put up with his pitting stares and snide comments for Trixie, anything for her.

But would it really be the best thing for her daughter?

She didn't want to give Trixie any false hope that she and Dan would be getting back together, it would only break her heart to see her daughter get her hopes up that they would be one big family again. Chloe couldn't live with herself if she did that to her. And Dan's new place really was too small for the three of them.

And somehow, god knows how Lucifer understood.

He of all people encouraged her more than anyone, not at all turned off by her stubborn need for self-reliance. Hell, even the first time they met, when she thought of him as nothing but a privileged ass who viewed the world as his own kingdom, had called her out on her intelligence. Complimented her on her self-assurance, told her to trust herself above all else and to never let anyone tell her otherwise. Because she was smart and they were all simply threatened that she was more than a pretty face.

Even though sometimes she liked to fancy herself Wonder Woman, sometimes, and only sometimes, does she wish she was married again. To have a partner who lets the other fall apart when they reached their breaking point, held them tight without judgment or resentment. It was too sensitive of a subject to think about because the minute she did her eyes began to sting, the familiar sensation of tears started to prickle her eyes.

Chloe immediately turned away from Lucifer, bit the inside of her cheek hard until the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. She dug her nails into her palms, hard, until her tears subsided and she was able to talk without her voice trembling all over the damn place.

"Lucifer, am I a bad mother?" Chloe croaked out.

She wished the ground would swallow her up whole, standing there in the middle of her empty kitchen, their voices echoing against the empty walls. She wondered why she even bothered asking, of course, he wouldn't say no, nobody would actually tell her the truth if she asked.

But she didn't ask anybody else, she asked Lucifer, and he never lied, which is why she awaited his answer with a nervous mind. She couldn't bare if he said yes, because what kind of mother would be moving yet again in the span of a year because she was unable to provide for her daughter?

She couldn't handle Lucifer telling her she failed.

Lucifer pushed himself off from the counter, striding over to her, his footsteps booming throughout the room. "I should say not! Who told you that rubbish?" He demanded, his voice sending shivers down her spine.

Chloe shut her eyes before swallowing the lump in her throat. "It's just-with everything going on, I feel like I haven't been there a lot for Trixie, and-" She opened her eyes, shuffled around and inhaled deeply. "-And with moving out again, just as she's settling. I just-I feel like I'm letting her down, I feel like I failed my daughter. Again." Chloe murmured, biting back tears on the verge of spilling.

She didn't want to be her mother, who put her career ahead of her family, before her daughter again and again. Chloe at least had her father to raise her, Trixie only saw Dan occasionally, and more often than not Chloe barely managed to get in a few hours with her own child.

Chloe didn't want to have Trixie dread her visits when she was older, she didn't want Trixie to constantly check the time every five minutes to see how much longer she had to put up with her. She couldn't live with Trixie moving away for the sole purpose of getting as far away from Chloe as possible.

Lucifer's soothing voice broke her out of her rampant thoughts."Detective-Chloe, look at me, please," He urged, gently guiding her into his arms. "I want you to listen to what I say, you know that I would never lie to you. You are an amazing mother who constantly puts her child before everything else, and that is a gift that many cannot say they have. By the grace of your love, Beatrice will grow up knowing she had one of the most kind-hearted people as a mother. My own mother and father could only wish to be half the woman you are Chloe. You are Truly good, believe that at least."

Chloe was left open-mouthed, gaping up at him awestruck, as if he hung the stars (oh yeah-). She wiped her eyes free of stray tears, it was horrible to think that the man cradling her as if she would break in half, was the same man who broke her heart. The very same man who went off and dangled his marriage in front of her face, and who once spent his Friday night playing board games with a single mother and a hyperactive nine-year-old.

It was all just so-

"Lucifer." She breathed out, her voice a quivering mess as she buried her head into his chest. "Thank you."

Coughing awkwardly, Lucifer retracted his arms and clapped loudly, moved backward so as to put a good amount of space between them. "Moving on! I think I have a rather wonderful solution! I'm surprised I haven't thought of it sooner."

Tender moment ruined, Chloe rolled her eyes good naturally before making her way back to an empty stool and plopping down. She rested her elbows on her knees, letting her face fall to her palm.

"What?"

Lucifer began to rock back and forth on his heels, his red soles peeking out every now and again. He patted his thighs in attempts of a drum roll, before abruptly stopping and spreading his arms out wide.

"Move in with me!"

Chloe snorted loudly, soon erupting into a fit of laughter. She let her shoulders jostle with every laugh, covering her mouth in hopes to contain it, Chloe finally calmed down into breathless chuckles. The thought of Trixie learning how to bartend nearly sent her into another fit but she was able to control it.

Lucifer crossed his arms, a pout beginning to form on his lips as he let out a huff of frustration.

He was never doing anything nice ever again.

"Thanks, Lucifer," Chloe huffed out, cheeks flushing pink and let out an airy giggle. "I really needed that, but seriously, what's your idea?"

His silence was answer enough.

"You're serious?" Chloe asked all humor drained from her voice.

Lucifer rolled his eyes, grinning ear to ear at her tone. "Of course! So, what do you say Detective?"

"No."

Lucifer pouted, every bit the spoiled child he was. "You didn't even consider it."

"Fine," Chloe pursed her lips, began to look around the room all the while stroking her chin in mock consideration. "Hmmm, no."

"Why not?"

Chloe couldn't help but scoff, a list of reasons already running through her mind. The only hard part was deciding which ones to pick, decisions, decisions.

"Lucifer, your apartment is above a club, probably the worst place for a child to live in. You have an entire bar in your living room. I don't even want to try to guess how many people you bring up there,- hell you don't even have security!" Chloe exclaimed, beyond exasperated at this point. "Anyone can push a button and go up, do you have any idea how unsafe that is? I can't let my daughter stay there Lucifer. Look, I know you mean well and thank you, so much, for offering but we just can't." Chloe smiled apologetically, before reaching over to grasp his larger hand into her own, hoping she let him down well enough.

Instead, it had the complete opposite effect. If anything, her comforting touch only fueled his fire. He grasped her small, calloused hands in between his long and nimble fingers.

"Detective I can assure you that nothing will befall you, nor your child," He squeezed her hand tight, his jaw clenched as he let out a breath. "I guarantee you that."

Chloe shook her head. "I can take of myself Lucifer, I don't need you protecting me."

Lucifer smiled at her, nearly blinding her with his glee."I, in no way, was insinuating that you couldn't, if anything you'd be the one protecting me. I'd feel much safer with the LAPD's best detective guarding me."

Chloe bit her lip to prevent the grin threatening to spread across her face, and to keep herself from reminding him that he was the one who saved her life, god knows how many times. But it was beside the point, retracting her hands, Chloe smiled fondly up at him. Fumbling with her fingers, Chloe motioned for Lucifer to sit beside her, he stared down at the rickety stool in distaste. He caved in and sat primly on the seat when Chloe tugged on his cuffs, staring up at him through her lashes.

"I do have a daughter who may or may not want her own space Lucifer," She grimaced at her next thought. "She's growing up and needs privacy, her own room."

"I do have more than one room, believe it or not." He replied, silently appalled she would ever think of him so barbaric.

"Lucifer, Trixie's school couldn't be farther away from Lux."

Lucifer rolled his eyes, she was running out of excuses and was now grasping onto anything. "I believe that's why you humans invented cars."

"You're going to drive my daughter to school?" She scoffed at the thought.

"Indeed," Lucifer grinned, happy to know she was at least starting to consider his offer properly. "I'll drop the little urchin off, and meet you at the Precinct if you want I'll even pick her up."

"Great, you driving my daughter, that makes me feel so much better."

Chloe cradled her head in her hands, gently massaging her temple in soothing circles. This had to be a dream, maybe she got injured in a case and this was her painkiller induced hallucination. Because there was no way, in any ring in hell, was she considering living with Lucifer, Mr. So-called-Devil himself.

Oh, how the mighty fall.

Sensing her uneasiness, Lucifer nudged her arm, grinning that shit eating smile of his. "Oh, come now detective. Think of it as staying at a hotel!"

Chloe chuckled. "A hotel?"

Lucifer grinned broadly at her, displaying rows of perfectly white teeth."Yes, the most elegant hotel you will ever stay at, that you could have never afforded had it not been for your generous partner."

Chloe kicked his shin in mock anger, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

She exhaled deeply, letting her shoulders sag from exhaustion. "Lucifer-I don't know," She bit her lip, looking at him nervously. "I'm not going to freeload off my friend."

"You're not if I'm the one whose offering." He insisted. "I would very much like the two of you as my company."

Chloe fisted the ends of her sleeves, tugging and yanking them until she found the courage to speak. "Lucifer, Trixie comes first," She said, smiling at the mere thought of her beautiful girl. "You have to understand that, I have to think how this will affect her."

"I understand,"Lucifer answered stiffly.

He often forgot the Detective was a parent, from what he had been through, fathers were cruel and selfish, and mothers distant and cold. Neither description fit the woman in front of him though, who hung up her child's scribbles as though priceless art, belonging in a museum. This woman, who even after running around all over L.A, forgot all her anger gathered throughout the day and spent time loving her daughter. And how she would never go a day without telling her daughter "I love you" and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Who was now was sitting in front of him, telling him that she would not put herself over her child, no matter what. And that he would have to acknowledge that.

Fascinating.

Chloe shook her head. "No-Lucifer, listen to me. You need to promise me if," Lucifer immediately perked up, Chloe rushed to correct herself. "If I take you up on this, you need to promise me that nothing will happen to my daughter. And so help me Lucifer, you will not treat her like a dog and you will be nice to her." Chloe finished with a cross of her arms, before adding "And, you will not bring anyone up so long as I and Trixie are there, I've already traumatized my daughter enough thank you."

Lucifer let out a long sigh. "Very well, although," Chloe's head snapped up, argument already on the tip of her tongue "I hate being nosy, but I do think Beatrice would very much enjoy it."

Chloe opened her mouth but quickly shut it, if she were to deny it he would call her out for being a liar. She could already see Trixie's small eyes lighting up the minute she pitched the idea, her face breaking into a wide smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners just like Dan's. Her endless chatter, going on and on to anyone that would listen that she and her mom would be living with The Lucifer Morningstar. He's the devil.

The same Lucifer Morningstar smirking at her, smug bastard knew he already won.

"You're not using my daughter against me Lucifer," Chloe muttered.

Lucifer only crossed his legs in response, his grin never fading from his face. If anything, it only seemed to grow in size by the second. Chloe worried her lip between her teeth deep in thought, she made herself focus, pros and cons running rampant through her mind.

Pro; He had a huge apartment, had great connections, was rich as sin, and it definitely didn't hurt that her daughter absolutely adored him. God knows why. For better or worse he could read her like nothing, seeing right through all her walls. He no longer put all his energy into getting her into bed, seeming to finally think of someone else that wasn't himself. He saw her for who she was, accepted her flaws and seemed to embrace them whenever they worked together. They were both able to balance each other out, well-not perfectly, but as close as they could get.

Con; well, where should she even begin?

He was completely delusional, after a year in therapy and he was still absolutely convinced he was Satan himself. He intakes so many drugs it's a miracle he's even alive, or that he hasn't contracted at least one STD from any of his many bedmates. As much as she trusted him, Lucifer was not the most reliable person, one minute he's the worlds biggest asshat, parading around as if he ruled the world. She blinks, and he's recreating prom just for her. How long until he grows bored of morning cartoons, nights in and regular bedtimes and kicks them out? He has baggage to rival her own, and that's saying something, and enough daddy issues to last millennia.

But list be damned because unless she didn't want to swallow her pride and face homelessness, he was her only option.

"It'll only be for a couple of weeks, just until I find us a new place," She said slowly, talking more to herself rather than him. "The minute I find us a good apartment we'll be out."

Lucifer nodded while uncrossing his legs."Of course."

Chloe leaned forward, an accusing finger jabbing at his chest."And you need to install some type of security system, I mean it Lucifer," At his eye roll, Chloe sent him her classic mom glare that worked wonders on Trixie, that shut him up good. "I don't care if you don't think you need it, I don't want to worry about someone bursting in the middle of the night, okay?"

Lucifer didn't seem to be actually listening to her, already standing up and rocking on his toes. His smile was blinding, but every bit genuine. His excitement began to seep out as he further leaned towards her, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets, fiddling with his fingers.

"Very well detective," He agreed, like a good little Devil. "Suppose I could call in an IOU."

"Oh god, this is such a mess." Chloe groaned, shoving her fingers through her knotted hair, knowing full well Lucifer will never let her live this down. "I'll talk to Trixie and Dan, if they're okay with it, we'll talk, deal?"

Lucifer was already on his feet, practically skipped over to her door, humming a tune she couldn't place. "See you later roomie!" He spoke in a sing-song voice.

He had the nerve to shoot her a sly wink.

"I'm still mulling Lucifer!" She exclaimed as Lucifer slammed the door shut.

"Oh god," Chloe grumbled, wondering if she imagined Lucifer's cackling, or if she was going insane.

If she wasn't already.

~.~

"Am I gonna get my own room?"

Chloe looked down at her daughter, all sparkly hair clips, and neon shirt, staring up her with those deadly brown eyes. She grinned at her before running a gentle hand through her hair, when did she get so tall?

"I don't know baby."

Trixie shrugged and continued playing with the ends of her backpack. "If I don't that's okay, you and me can share with Lucifer right?"

Chloe coughed violently, horribly inappropriate images flashing through her mind, already regretting the offer. She glanced at the numbers flying by on the elevator, last time she was here she could have sworn there were fewer floors.

"Trix, no, you'll sleep in your own bed and I'll stay on the couch if I have to okay?" At Trixie's anxious stare, Chloe sighed and corrected herself. "I'll sleep with you if you get scared, deal?"

Trixie bit her lip."Can I paint the walls?"

Rubbing her temple, Chloe tugged lightly on Trixie's hair. "Trix I told you, we're not staying that long babe."

There was a beat of silence, Chloe patted her pockets to make sure she didn't leave her phone in the garage. Trixie had her backpack and volunteered to carry the lightest suitcase, Lucifer had already hired movers to take all their belongings so she didn't have to worry about that. She reminded herself to ask Lucifer if he could allow Trixie's babysitter access into Lux as well. Dan also wanted to come by and-

"But if we do-." Trixie started

"Beatrice," Chloe warned.

Knowing she would be getting nowhere, Trixie surrendered. "Yes, mom."

"Thank you." Chloe cooed sweetly. A sudden thought struck her and she sank to her knees to meet Trixie's eye level."You are going to be on your best behavior young lady, don't drink anything from the bar, and if you want to go to the pool you have to go with someone. Also, ask before touching something okay? I do not want Lucifer complaining about how you keep touching his stuff. He can be such a baby." Chloe finished with a groan, the last thing she needed was to replace a million dollar vase Trixie accidentally broke, Lucifer would then go the entire day complaining to anyone that would listen.

She was getting a headache just thinking about it.

"He's funny," Trixie giggled, her award-winning smile back where it belonged. "I really like him. Do you think he'd like it if I drew him something? Like a thank you?" Trixie asked shyly, tracing her foot across the elevator's floor

"I think he'd love that monkey." Chloe insisted, smiling wide at her daughter who in returned giggled.

She'd kill him if he said otherwise.

The familiar sound of the elevator reaching its floor snapped her back into reality, rising to her feet, Chloe adjusted the straps of Trixie's bag. Breathing in deep she forced herself to remain calm at all costs, the last thing she needed right now was to explode in front of her daughter. She could do it behind a shut door, with the shower running to drown out any noise she may make, but not in front of Trixie.

Besides, she really should give Lucifer the benefit of the doubt, after all, they've been through he deserved that at least.

The thought disappeared the minute the elevator doors parted, and there standing right in the center of his apartment was Lucifer dressed head to toe as a bellhop. The red cap tilted to the side, matching the equally bright suit with golden buttons adorning the center. Snapping his head up at the sound of the elevator, he spread his arms wide, displaying his apartment proudly.

"Welcome to Lux," Lucifer crooned, in a horrible American accent. "Detective, child. Wonderful to have you here"

Trixie burst out laughing, her eyes twinkling up at Lucifer. She covered her mouth when she noticed her Mother glaring at him unamused, she let out a couple of giggles escape when Lucifer wriggled his eyebrows at her.

Chloe bit the inside of her cheek to keep her smile from showing, she coughed awkwardly before talking. "What are you wearing?"

She wished that just for once he didn't have to look good in everything, he makes his expensive suits seem like part of his skin, movements fluid and elegant. The uniform that would have looked utterly ridiculous on anyone else, seemed to be handmade just for him, and him alone.

Chloe wouldn't put it past him for that to be the case.

Lucifer simply beamed at her. "Thought I'd make the transition as smooth as possible, set the scene and all that."

Chloe crossed her arms as she listened to him, her foot began tapping into a nervous habit she had taken up. Not even a full minute had gone by, and she was already regretting her decision.

Thankfully Trixie was there to diffuse the tensions.

"Can I wear the hat?" She asked, pointing to Lucifer's head.

Lucifer nodded, smirking up at Chloe, knowing full well she couldn't say anything. "But of course." He bent down and placed the hat crookedly on her head, unsatisfied, he brushed a hand through her hair before placing the hat down carefully. "There you are."

Chloe watched the scene with her mouth agape, she bit her lip to prevent any sound from escaping. It reminded her of nature walks she used to take with her father, every time they would see a deer her dad would tell her to be absolutely quiet and still or else they'll freak out and the moment will be ruined.

And she very much wanted this to last as long as it could.

Trixie patted her head, bouncing with energy. "Cool, thanks," She turned on her heels to state up at Chloe, she fluttered her eyelashes and struck a pose. "Mom, how do I look?"

Chloe laughed, shaking her head at her daughter's antics, she pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. "Beautiful monkey."

Lucifer fidgeted awkwardly for a few seconds before squaring his shoulders, mask fully secured. "Detective a-."

"Drop the accent or else we're leaving," Chloe demanded, practically fuming.

Rolling his eyes upwards, Lucifer guided the two over to the bar, his hand resting on Chloe's arm. Neither seemed to notice the small touch, but that didn't stop Trixie from grinning knowingly at them. Once they made the short walk over, and after helping Trixie onto the stool, Chloe let herself settle into the chair as well. Lucifer began to prepare drinks in swift and fluid movements, club soda for Trixie with a cherry and an umbrella per her request, a martini for Chloe, and a simple scotch for himself.

Chloe moved her drink to the side, after all, it was barely noon and not everyone had Lucifer's iron stomach.

"Did you make it over here safely?" Lucifer asked, eyeing her carefully as he took a slow sip of his drink. "Any issues with the movers? All your items get here safely?"

"Yeah, thanks for hiring the movers Lucifer," Chloe thanked, it was a great relief that she wouldn't have to lug everything inside her compact car. "I mean it, I have no idea how we were gonna move all our stuff. I forgot how much we owned, it took a whole day to pack up our stuff right Trix?"

Trixie continued to munch happily on her cherry. "Yeah, me and mom have lotta clothes."

Chloe scoffed in mock offense. "You have way more clothes than me you little weasel."

Trixie stuck out her tongue playfully before turning in her seat to stare at Lucifer, her elbows rested on the counter as the red bellhop hat dipped further into her head. "Hey, Lucifer guess what?"

Lucifer stared back unamused, a few seconds passed before he answered. "Am I supposed to guess?" Exasperated, he sent Chloe a pleading a look to which she only smirked. "Can't you just say it?" He nearly begged to the child, who would only smile wider.

"I can name all the planets, and in order." Her little chest puffed out in pride.

"Is that impressive?" Lucifer asked, baffled.

He was lucky Trixie was used to his awkwardness around children, she took his odd questions and stiff reactions and accepted them. Chloe did her best to explain that Lucifer's parents were very mean to him when he was a kid and that is was not at all her fault it Lucifer was a little confused on what to say or do. Trixie began to cry, out of sympathy for Lucifer. Chloe had to beg Trixie not to mention their conversation to Lucifer because then he would get embarrassed and upset.

It rattled Chloe how accepting Trixie was of Lucifer's quirks, when she herself had to restrain herself not to snap at him too harshly.

"Yep," Trixie sipped the rest of her drink in record time, placing it to the side, never once pausing in her rant. "Cause Breanna Cabrera, she's the smartest in the class, can only name like, five. We took a test on it on Friday and I was the only one who knew all of them, and my teacher gave me glow in the dark stickers."

"Well then, it appears congratulations are in order," Lucifer exclaimed. "Hear hear!" He saluted with a rise of his drink.

Trixie repeated the motion with her own drink, she and Lucifer clinked their glasses with giddy smiles, turning their brown eyes to focus on Chloe who was still peering at them with a fond expression. Chuckling to herself because there was no way she could refuse those eyes, she raised her barely touched drink as well. Clinking with both of them, spilling a little in the process.

Lucifer didn't comment.

Instead, he adjusted his maroon sleeves without looking down, patted his suit down and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He never did stop smiling. "Would you like to settle down in your rooms?"

Drink long finished, Trixie immediately lit up. "Cool! I get my own room?"

Lucifer looked offended, inquired Trixie with a quirk of his eyebrows for a minute before answering. "Of course you do," He scoffed. "Why wouldn't you?"

Satisfied with the answer, Chloe felt a sense of dread at the mischievous glint in her daughter's eyes she got whenever she eyed a toy she wanted or a piece of desert.

"Lucifer," Trixie cooed, shooting Chloe a smug grin. "Can I paint the walls any color I want?"

"Absolutely."

"No."

Chloe glared at Lucifer, who could only stare innocently at her. She regarded Trixie for a second before letting out a breath of air, it was too soon to pick a fight with her right now. They still had a lot of unpacking to do, and with both an energetic Lucifer and Trixie teaming up against an exhausted Chloe Decker, there was no way she would win.

"Trix, go take your stuff and unpack okay baby? I have to talk to Lucifer really quick." She ordered.

"Okay," She agreed, already forming a plan as to how to get Lucifer to agree to paint her ceiling like space. Looking up at Lucifer she smiled gratefully. "Thanks for letting us live here Lucifer, I love this place."

Lucifer was gaping down at the child, a small human thanking the Devil for letting her and her mother crash at his apartment. Who'd of thunk it? "Ah, yes, well," He stuttered and was left staring at his floor. When was the last time he swept? "I'm glad it suits your standards."

Trixie giggled before jumping from the stool and skipped over to the entrance of the guest rooms. Waiting until her daughter's footprints faded, she turned to face Lucifer, eyeing him curiously.

"What now?" Lucifer asked after taking a long sip of his drink.

Chloe didn't know where to start. "Where did you even get that outfit?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Lucifer smirked, leering down at her.

Chloe grimaced, wishing she never asked in the first place. She should have already assumed after that fateful incident at the beginning of their partnership. She had come over to ask for assistance on a case, shrugging off the jacket she asked where she could hang it and he pointed over to a closet. Needless to say, she opened the wrong closet and was left gawking at Lucifer's many kinky outfits.

She never did take her coat off since then, no matter how humid it was.

"Ew, gross."

Ignoring off her comment, he began to rinse off his glass and dust off his bar, anal traits kicking in. "I've installed that horrid security system, now I need to show my thumbprint to get into my own home," He scoffed at the thought, the only reason she knew he wasn't serious was the small huff of laughter he disguised as a cough. "I figured I'd help you and the child get into the system once you've settled in properly."

"Thank you Lucifer," Chloe reached over and placed a hand on top his larger one, pausing him in his cleaning process. He immediately stiffened under her, Chloe nearly retracted her hand but then he turned his palm over and returned the gesture. She smiled up at him and he could only match it."For everything. I-uh, I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but thank you for taking us in. I promise we won't even be here that long."

Lucifer's smile faltered slightly, and Chloe couldn't for the life of her, figure out why. If anything he should be popping open the champagne at the thought, use one of his contacts to find them a new apartment right away, be absolutely put out at the fact that a single mother and a nine-year-old would be staying with him. Further cramping his bachelor lifestyle he was so very fond of.

Instead, he looked like a kicked puppy, briefly tightening his grip on her hand. "You're welcome here as long as you'll tolerate me."

Opening her mouth to respond, Chloe was cut off by the excited shrikes of Trixie bouncing off the walls.

"Mom!" Trixie cried out, her voice echoed throughout the apartment. "There's a waterfall in my room, it's so cool, come look!"

Lucifer took a sip of her martini, smirking.

"I hate you," Chloe muttered, she pushed herself off the bar, stalking over to the doorway.

"What, no tip?" Lucifer called out.

Chloe's response was to flip him off, Lucifer couldn't contain himself and barked with laughter as he watched her storm off.

—

"Let me try one of those."

Chloe looked up from her food to shoot a glare at Lucifer "Oh, so, now you want one?" Chloe scoffed, pushing the container closer to her chest. "You kept calling them gross, no, these are mine."

The minute Lucifer strolled with the Chinese takeout Chloe had ordered and saw the pot stickers he couldn't stop throwing a hissy fit. How the smell was making it impossible to eat, forcing her to retire to the edge of the couch, with Trixie eating away on the floor in front of the television. Lucifer stays longways with his Impossibly long legs draping across the entire couch. The empty containers of food were scattered about Lucifer's coffee table, even after Chloe insisted they eat in his kitchen, Trixie won out saying the view was too good to miss.

So here they were, and it only figures that when she's down to her last two does he finally want to try one.

He tisked down at her. "You're not setting a very good example detective."

He motioned to the sleeping bundle of blankets laying on the floor, the little socked feet poking out from the covers made Lucifer itch to tuck them in. Swallowing the last bit of food, Chloe moved to shake her daughter, clearly exasperated.

"Baby, get up it's time for bed." She cooed when that didn't stir a reaction, she switched tactics and enforced her classic mom voice. "Trixie, come on, I know you're not sleeping, get up."

She lasted all of two seconds before cracking, lifting herself on her elbows, Trixie pouted up at her mom. "But I was so good!"

Rolling her eyes, Chloe guided her daughter up. "Sure you were, say goodnight to Lucifer monkey."

Throwing herself into Lucifer's arms, Trixie adjusted herself so her head was placed in the crook of his neck."'Night Lucifer," Pulling back she pecked a kiss to his forehead, her small hands cupping his stubbled cheek. "Thank you sooo much for letting us stay here!"

Chloe had to cover her mouth so as to not burst into laughter at Lucifer's expression, she could swear she saw the ends of his ears beginning to turn pink.

Composing herself, Chloe called out to Trixie. "Go put on your PJs babe, I'll be right there."

Nodding, Trixie scampered off, not before giving her mom a wet kiss on her cheek. Chloe pretended to be disgusted and began to tickle her in revenge. Lucifer couldn't have felt more out of place, briefly trying to recall a time when his own mother openly displayed that sort of love. If she ever did, it was when he was still a child and a good little angel in the name of Father.

When he snapped out of his musing, Chloe was picking up containers, the child long gone.

"Why would she pretend to be asleep?" He asked, unsure of what else to ask.

Chloe huffed in annoyance, handing him the spare potstickers without a word. "Because she wants to be carried to bed," She said, remembering the long car rides they would take. Trixie, still small enough for Chloe to snatch her off the ground and tuck her into her neck. "But she's getting too big for me for me to do it anymore."

She left it at that, throwing away the trash with a sigh. She would definitely need to ask Lucifer for a bigger trash can.

"Be right back, let me put Trixie to bed and I'll help you clean up," Chloe called out.

Happily munching, Lucifer made a mental note to buy these next time they ordered in. Although appalled by the idea, for these little spheres, it may be worth it.

Rising from his very comfortable position, Lucifer began to clean up as well. He always was the clean freak, even in a family of angels. Everything needed to be prim and in its rightful place, something the child seems not to care for, did she really have to spill rice all over his marble floors?

He just swept and mopped for Fathers' sake.

Fortunately for him, he had a partner who was just the same. Chloe already organized her files in alphabetical order on the bar and had packed her clothes all neat and folded. Lucifer realized he was not at all surprised that he found the trait charming.

Clearing the plates and setting them on the bar for him to clean tomorrow, he noticed that the Detective left a few stray papers scattered about. Curiosity winning out, he told himself he would only sneak a little peek.

His blood ran cold when he saw they were all listings for apartments.

It was then that Chloe came back, hair up in a messy bun, wearing a long faded pajama top and the knee length bottoms with little succulents that Ella had gotten her. She smiled at Lucifer as she made her way to the living room, and began to fold the mess of blankets on the floor.

It was horribly domestic.

"Detective, what are these?" He asked, waving the papers in the air.

"Hmm?" She looked up and saw the mess Lucifer was motioning to. "Oh, they're listings for apartments I'm looking at. Nice right?"

He wasn't very sure how to answer.

"But you only just got here."

So apparently he went for the wounded bird response, he couldn't believe how small and pathetic his own voice sounded, he just hoped beyond hope that Chloe didn't notice.

If she did, she did a great job hiding it. Instead, she chuckled at his face, wondering if he was actually serious. "Lucifer I told you we wouldn't be staying that long, I don't want to put you out too much," She placed the last blanket on the couch with a satisfied sigh, suddenly feeling the execution from the day creep up on her."Those are actually really close to our old place, and the real estate lady is so nice, I think I'll be able to find us a new place in a couple of weeks."

Lucifer scoffed, arranging the papers in a neat pile. "Are you sure this, Arrieannah is a real professional?"

"Lucifer," Chloe warned, shooting him a quick glare.

That was all she would say as she let herself fall against the couch, not at all willing to get into it with him tonight. She didn't want to start an argument with him over her living situations, as it was she was already on edge on taking him up on his offer. But she was just out of options, Dan was surprisingly okay with it, he wouldn't stop smiling at her the entire day. Marcus was completely off the table, he was kind and respected her and his house was amazing, but he hasn't even met Trixie. And as much as she liked him, there was too much that could go wrong.

At least with Lucifer, she knew she was in control.

Lucifer eyed her curiously before shrugging off his jacket, Chloe had insisted he take off the ridiculous outfit while they ate. Unfortunately for her, both he and the child refused, ganging up on her until she finally relented. Throwing it across the bar he quickly made his way over to her on the couch.

He sat down maybe a little too close to her, but then she seemed to lean into his warmth without thinking.

He couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Do you want to watch something?" He offered, pulling the remote from between the cushions. "Unless you plan on going to bed as well." He teased.

Chloe chuckled, the sound sending vibrations throughout her body, shaking him as well. "I don't go to sleep the same time as my daughter Lucifer" She held out her open palm and wiggled her fingers. "Gimme."

He went to lift it high above her head but she was too fast and snatched it from his hand. Grinning triumphantly;y she began to flip through the channels.

"Nothing too sitcom-y Detective, I beg of you," Lucifer pleaded, his head lolling to the side. "Bloody Brady Bunch traumatized me from ever turning on the tele for years."

Chloe laughed at his confession, turning to grin at him. "Now you made me want to watch full house." She only laughed harder when he made a failed attempt to steal the remote back. "Why do you hate those shows? Too happy happy, joy, joy?"

Lucifer scoffed, crossing his arms stiffly over his chest. "Reminds me of the absolute mess that is my family," He paused at the revolution, he seemed to have spoken without thinking, big mistake. "My siblings more specifically, that and the terrible acting."

He let out a fake laugh, silently praying that Chloe would drop it.

But then it wouldn't be Chloe now, would it?

"You had a lot of siblings?"

"Unfortunately," Lucifer answered stiffly

Chloe hummed in response, his family had always been a touchy subject, but if they would be living together they would need to get through at least some of the barriers. "I always wanted a brother, or a sister I wasn't picky," Chloe but her lip at Lucifer's suspicious look he gave her, it was only fair after all. If he could confide in her, even a little, who was she to not do the same? "I was just really lonely growing up you know? But my mom always had trouble conceiving, it's a miracle she even had me, apparently she was told she could never have kids."

He immediately stiffened next to her.

"Still, I always hoped they would adopt, but I guess it was a good thing they didn't. No other kid should have to grow up with Penelope Decker as a mother."

Lucifer eyed Chloe before answering. "Trust me, Detective, you aren't missing out on anything." He picked lint off his shirt as he continued to mutter. "Bunch of prats, the whole lot of them."

Shaking her head at his antics, Chloe kept talking. "I just remember feeling so bad for Ella, but then a little bit jealous too," Giggling at Lucifer's furrowed brow she immediately elaborated." I mean despite all the evidence, she still believed her brother was innocent. She knew what kind of person her brother was and didn't care what anyone else thought, she really had faith in him. I think we all need that kind of person in our lives."

"Believe me, Detective, Miss Lopez is nothing like that evil brother of hers," He murre for under his breath. "She deserves better than the family she has."

"I've always wanted another kid." Chloe blurted out, grimacing the second the words left her mouth.

"Really?"

"Yeah I mean," Chloe shrugged, unable to meet his eye she fiddled with her blankets."I didn't like growing up alone, and I didn't want that for Trixie either, that's why I liked having Maze around, they got really close and I was glad Trix didn't have to be so lonely."

Lucifer inhaled deeply, Chloe nudged his shoulder with her own. "Do you miss any of your siblings?"

Chloe held her breath as she waited for his response. She couldn't take it if he deflected like she expected him to if he changed the subject with a wave of his regal hand and abruptly left her alone on the couch. She asked him to move forward, but they seemed to be doing anything but lately, they seemed to be stuck in place for the longest time now. Chloe wanted to give him another chance, she desperately wanted to believe there was more to him than what he would reveal.

Squeezing his hand tight, she nearly pleaded him to trust her. Meeting her eye he knew he was doomed, after all, he had done to keep her as far away from him and here they were. It was pure torture to have her so close, her offering up herself to him as if we were worthy of such. The Devil himself being reduced to a mess for a mere mortal, Uriel would be laughing his ass off if he could see him right now.

Uriel, oh Uriel.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lucifer finally croaked out. "My brother, Uriel," Coughing violently, he continued. "I miss him the most."

He smiled when Chloe's eyes widened in understanding, turning sympathetic as she reached out to hesitantly hold his hand. She was too smart for her own good sometimes, she truly was.

Chloe gasped, her calloused hand fully enveloping his. "Oh Lucifer, I'm so sorry."

It was such a stupid, insignificant little word that has no true substance. She had to put up with that every day when her father died, so many times did she want to strangle every person who wouldn't meet her eye and awkwardly give her a pathetic 'sorry'. Now though, she had nothing else to say, everything sounded wrong and nothing she could say would be able to help him. Lucifer has never mentioned any of his other siblings, let alone that one of them had died, she had never felt so detached from him.

Lucifer rolled his eyes, exasperated. "He was a self-righteous prick who thought he knew what was best, manipulative bastard-that, he just had to get from Father," He finished with a choked sob, biting the inside of cheek he quickly composed himself. "But I miss him, every day."

Chloe regretted bringing up the subject in the first place. "I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about it."

"Thank you." He murmured, smiling at her.

But it was all fake and didn't quite reach his eyes.

Turning to the tv, Chloe flipped through a couple more channels before turning to him and nudging him gently. "So, no Gilmore girls then?" She teased.

Grateful she let it go, he slumped down on the couch. "Can't say that I've seen it, what's it about?"

She sighed."It's a mother-daughter show, you'll hate it."

He laughed and smiled wide at her. "Perfect."

Chloe had to pause in between commercial breaks to explain plots and characters, and just for the hell of it, he pretended to forget characters names just to get her riled up. As the night progressed she leaned fully on him, her heated lulling to his shoulder, loose strands of her hair tickled his neck deliciously.

The last thing he remembered was Chloe nestling herself into his side, holding their interwoven fingers tight. Chloe's faint snores lulling him into sleep.

And then he slept.

He woke up to an end credit scene on the flat screen, the detective pressed to his left side, her cheek still resting on his shoulder. The child at some point in the night found her way between the two adults, a star patterned blanket spilling between her legs. Her head was splayed across his chest, her mother had snaked a protective arm around her waist. Both humans breaths filled the room, their heartbeats faint, but steady. Lucifer could practically feel their warmth envelop him whole. His chest tightened the longer he stared at the sleeping humans laying on him, the child murmured something in her sleep and the Detective immediately tightened her hold.

A faint smile appeared on their faces, both mother and child recognizing each other even in sleep.

Odd.

Checking his watch, he saw it was barely five, with the blinding LA sun barely peeking out. He might as well get up, get his daily routine going and begin breakfast. With his new roommates he would be cooking for three from now on, he heard the detective mention taking a few days off of work to get settled in and fully unpack. He could start on that, move the boxes scattered about into her room (he would ignore the way his heart jolted), she had refused to take his bed and settled on sharing a room with the child.

And he promised the child they would talk about decorations, apparently, Christmas lights hanging on walls were very in now.

He had a million things to do really, so it only made sense for him to get up.

But it was so warm, surely he could allow himself five more minutes? After all, the Detective and her child looked awfully comfortable, they could use the sleep and him getting up would most definitely wake them. So it only made sense to lay his head against Chloe's, his free hand absentmindedly picked up the child's blanket and tucked it snugly around her body.

Unable to help himself, he inhaled Chloe's subtle scent, faint vanilla that wafted through his nose. With one more quick breath, he let his eyes droop and let his mind go.

He woke up to both humans talking in hushed whispers, sneaking around so as to not wake him as they made breakfast. He smirked when he heard Chloe curse after dropping a fork, the child chastised her mother in a loud whisper before slapping a hand over her mouth.

Lucifer peeked an eye open and noticed that both were staring at him, making sure he was still sleeping. When they were satisfied that he was, the detective began to order around the child, a giggle slipping out every now and then.

As he listened in, even with the child's blanket enveloping his body. Lucifer couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why he felt so incredibly warm.

~.~

Chloe and Lucifer had an unspoken agreement that he would make breakfast and do Trixie's' hair while she got herself, and everything else, ready.

In return, Chloe would make their lunches, drawing a little heart on Trixie's lunch bag and a tiny horned devil on Lucifer's. It was a nice and steady rhythm that Chloe had grown accustomed to, even her and Dan didn't have this smooth of a routine.

It started off rocky of course, but by two weeks, it was not at all uncommon to see Trixie propped up on one of the bar stools, watching her morning cartoons as she ate her breakfast with Lucifer doing her hair. Chloe had snapped a good amount of pictures, sending a couple the group chat of Charlotte, Ella, and Dan. (Maze and Linda had removed themselves a couple weeks ago) She had even saved one as her background, because the sight of the millionaire, playboy, bachelor Lucifer Morningstar, braiding her daughter's hair was too adorable, even for Chloe to resist.

"Stop squirming Beatrice," Lucifer scolded. "I just got your hair to behave."

"Sorry." She apologized, not at all remorseful.

She took a large bite of pancakes and giggled when one of the blobs on tv started yelling. He had yet to figure out what was so bloody entertaining about children's cartoons. After two weeks of subjecting himself to the spawns' programs, he has yet to grow immune to the bright colors and loud noises.

It was then that Lucifer felt very old.

"Who's that?" He asked, pointing to the loudest of the creatures who had yet to stop talking. "They're very annoying."

"Peridot," Trixie answered, wincing slightly when Lucifer pulled a little too hard on her hair. "She's my favorite cause she's really funny and yells a lot, moms' is pearl 'cause she said she's like the mom of the group. Whose yours?"

Lucifer blinked down at the child's twinkling eyes, she was speaking pure gibberish, that he was sure of. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"You're so weird." She giggled.

Lucifer straightened at the sound of Chloe's heels echoing throughout the apartment.

"Morning," She smiled at Lucifer warmly. "Hey, baby." She greeted, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Lucifer nodded in her direction. "Good Morning Detective, breakfast is on the table."

Chloe hummed thanks before leaning down to tie her boot laces. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders and onto her face, the sun only seemed to illuminate it to the point that it was nearly blinding to look at her.

So much so that he wasn't paying attention and pulled hard on the brush that was in Trixie's hair.

"Ouch!" Trixie hissed, giving Lucifer a dirty look. "Lucifer!"

He only rolled his eyes and ran his hands through the sensitive locks carefully, almost (almost!) tenderly.

"Have you seen my-" Chloe started.

Lucifer answered without looking up, busy tying one side of Trixie's hair into a bun. "On the couch, I left it charging."

Chloe bummed thanks, disconnected her phone to check her messages to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

"Did you get the-"

She looked up to nod at him. "Yeah, Ella gave them to me yesterday, I'm gonna start looking over them when we get to the precinct."

Trixie laughed as one of the blobs got crushed by a rock.

Smiling at her daughter laughter, Chloe glanced down at her phone and saw an incoming call. Chloe heaved a sigh seeing the school name flash on the screen. "Hello,"

"What?" Chloe's eyes widened, hand going to cover her mouth. "Is everything-Oh! Good! Okay, no yeah, great thanks."

She groaned into the empty line, stuffing her phone into her jacket, she all but pulled her hair out in frustration.

"What now?" Lucifer asked.

He stepped away from Trixie to inspect her hair and nodded in satisfaction. He opted for two simple, braided buns since it was supposed to be rather warm today, Trixie had insisted he place a sparkling dragon clip on both sides as well.

"Some water pipes in the basement burst in Trixie's school, so no school today," Chloe groaned as she cracked her neck. "Which is perfect because Trixie's sitter is out of town, and we have to leave for work now, and I don't want Trixie all alone in the precinct."

Chloe smiled sadly at her daughter who returned the gesture, and Father help him, but Lucifer hated seeing them sad.

He was going soft, remind him to kick his own ass for this later.

"I'll stay with her," Lucifer announced.

Chloe blinked at him. "Really?"

"Really?" Trixie shrieked with glee.

Lucifer shrugged. "Well, we can't just leave the child to run amuck, I've just swept and mopped after all," He answered stiffly. Chloe stood rigid in place, eyeing him suspiciously, waiting for his classic favor for a favor nonsense. He only rolled his eyes and shooed her away. "Well go on then, unless you desperately desire my company."

Chloe ignores him, instead, she went to cradle Trixies' face. "You wanna stay with Lucifer baby?"

"Yeah!" She exclaimed. "I'll be good, promise!"

Chloe shot Lucifer a look, moving to grab the bagel Lucifer sat out for her. She gathered her bag and double checked for all her files.

Shouldering her bag, she turned towards Lucifer. "I'll be back at five-ish, that okay?"

He grinned. "Perfect."

"Want me to pick up food?" Chloe asked, a playful glint in her eye.

Lucifer despised take out, if it wasn't freshly prepared in front of him, then it wouldn't be classified as proper nourishment. Unfortunately, whilst rooming with a single mother and an eight-year-old, he's had to subject himself to days of food out of boxes and leftovers. He held his tongue the first few days out of politeness.

That clearly ran out.

"I should say not, wh-"

Trixie was faster to respond. "Pizza please!"

Laughing at Lucifer's scowl, Chloe took a bite of her bagel and entered the elevator. "Bye guys," She then smiled earnestly at Lucifer. "Thank you Lucifer, I owe you big time."

Chloe stifled a chuckle at the sight of a crude crayon drawing of Lucifer, bearing red horns and tail, hanging above the button panel. Clearly, all the effort spent on the face ran out on the body, that was much too small on the head. On the corner of the drawing, Trixie had tried to write her name in cursive (She wrote a large T and scribbled the rest of her letters). Beside it, was Lucifer's much more elegant signature.

Honestly, those two would be the death of her.

Once the doors closed, Lucifer spun to quietly observe Trixie. "Well, what do you normally do when you don't have school?" He asked, dusting his pants.

Trixie leaped off the stool."Wanna watch tv with me?" At his grimace, Trixie tugged on his fingers, "It's gonna be an all-day marathon! It'll be so cool! C'mon!"

Before he knew what he was doing, Lucifer tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

Trixie leaned into his touch.

Lucifer snatched his hand back, staring at it in horror before taking a few tentative steps back. As if in fear over what she made him do, he stood behind the bar. "Can you just, just-go," When Trixie still didn't move he scowled at her "Oh! Well, go on then, shoo."

He rolled his eyes at her frown. "Fine! I'll watch your awful cartoon with you, evil leech."

He allowed Trixie to drag him away to the couch, after a few minutes he began shouting for the thin blurb to get off her high horse and for the green triangle to shut up.

Trixie only laughed.

_

Spending the entire day with a child was quite exhausting, particularly this one who seemed to run on endless energy, until five hit. Then she became akin to a slug, moping around, starving for food and her mother.

"How much longer?"

Lucifer's eye twitched, he took deep breaths and tapped his fingers against his bar. A calming tactic he read online with how to deal with annoyances, especially children. He tried to speak in his best patient voice.

Or, as patient as the Devil could be.

"Your mother said she would be back at five."

"She said five-ish."Trixie corrected, leaning an elbow on his clean bar.

Lucifer clicked his tongue. "I can't exactly set my watch to five-ish now can I?"

Trixie stuck out her tongue, giggling at his deadpan expression. Lucifer had enough, reached for his phone and began to text Chloe, muttering under his breath all the while.

Lucifer: Detective, not that spending the entire day with your child isn't pleasant (it is not) but it is currently 5:23, and the child is getting antsy

His anger multiplied when she left him on read, because of course. "If I call your mother, will you play dead so she can come home?"

Trixie quirked her head to the side, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. "I thought you said it's bad to lie."

Lucifer threw his head back in laughter. "Toché spawn, very good."

Trixie shrugged, smiling slightly. "Anyways, Mom gets mad whenever I pretend to be sick," Her eyes lit up mischievously, she leaned in on her elbows as if to whisper a secret. "One time, I really didn't wanna go to school, so Maze and I mixed a buncha' corn and peas and pretended I threw up."

Lucifer pursed his lips. "Did it work?"

Trixie nodded solemnly. "Mom's really smart, I got my tablet taken away for a week."

Lucifer lunged for his phone that lit up from an incoming message.

Detective ;): Hey, sorry, Pierce wanted to check out a lead, omw to get the pizza

With a groan, Lucifer threw his phone onto the bar without a care, he ran a hand through his face. The child must have thought something was wrong because she sat up on her legs. Voice quivering and body shaking. "What? What's wrong? Is mommy okay?"

Lucifer shook his head and waved her away. "Fine, she's' fine unless you count exposure to rodents disguised as Peirce," He grumbled under his breath, hand coiling and uncoiling into a fist. "Because of course today, when I'm not there, does Pierce partner up with her," He let out a bitter chuckle. "Curiouser and curiouser."

He watched as the child sighed in relief, her little shoulders slouching. He read somewhere that one should try to interact with the child to pass the time.

Might as well test it out.

"Have you ever met him? If so my sympathies." He asked.

"Mommy doesn't talk about him, Maze did though, she called him a butt hatt."She smiled but quickly tried to repress it.

Maze was mean, she called her and mom bad names and didn't apologize. Trixie wouldn't think about her, because she was gone for good and that's all that mattered. It didn't matter that she still kept the friendship bracelet she made inside a drawer and that she still liked to train and do the self-defense poses Maze taught her.

It didn't.

Lucifer stared down at child incredulously, laughter already bubbling in his chest."A what?"

Trixie glanced over at the elevator as if Chloe were going to pop out."Asshat."

"That he is." Lucifer agreed, laughing along with her.

Trixie bit her lip curiously and fixed Lucifer with a curious stare. "Is Maze your sister?"

Lucifer was thankful he still hadn't taken a drink yet, or else he would have spat it out. "Heaven's no! She's my.." Nothing, she's his nothing. She was released as his fateful guardian, no longer could he rely on his Maze to have his back, because he refused her. It was his fault. "Was my protector, my best demon."

"What's that?" She asked.

Lucifer bit the inside of his cheek, wording was key here. "She would make sure that no harm fell upon me, and would often perform tasks I deem beneath me" His voice wandered off, he fiddled with his ring tentatively as a faded smile fell off his face. He snuck a gaze to the child's calculating stare and snapped out of his trance. "Although I can look after myself, mind you, but she occasionally made decent company."

Trixie pursed her lips and raised a judging brow. "Aren't you kinda old for a babysitter?"

"A demon bodyguard is nowhere near a babysitter child." Lucifer insisted scoffing at the child.

It was a while before either of them spoke, between Lucifer whistling and Trixie's boots kicking the bar, the silence etched on. Until Trixie bit, her fingernail received a glare from Lucifer, sat up straight and looked at him straight on.

"Were you guys really from Hell?"

Lucifer stiffened, whistling ceasing."How do you know that?"

"I looked it up," She replied as if it was the most normal thing, and maybe it was. "Don't tell mom though, last time she got really mad when I looked stuff up about you."

She got caught red handed around the time of the kidnapping because Lucifer said he'd died and Trixie heard the gunshot and Lucifer crumbling to the ground. She pressed a hand against her mouth to silence her cries, she heard the bad man call out for her mother and saw the blood begin to spill out from Lucifer's body.

He gasped and jolted upright and Trixie still had no idea how her mom refused to believe Lucifer was the devil.

"Maze is, I'm not."

Trixie frowned. "Do you think I'm gonna see it?"

Lucifer's eye widened almost comically. "Absolutely not, child" He insisted, leaning forward almost menacingly, Trixie new he didn't mean to be. He really was a good person, (Devil?) "Neither you nor your mother will ever end up there. That I will make sure of. So long as you keep your nose clean, you'll never see it." He smiled in hopes what was kindly, perhaps maybe even warmly?

It seemed to have the opposite effect instead.

No sooner than the words left his mouth, Trixie's eyes began to water. "But then, when I die I'll never see you again right?" She really was beginning to cry now, Lucifer hated crying humans, especially children. Annoying little buggers. "And then you're gonna be alone again without me and mom around. Maze left, and she gets scary when she gets mad, and she said she's not gonna come back." Trixie leaned forward and wrapped her little arms around Lucifer's neck, nearly strangling him. "Lucifer I don't wanna leave you alone."

That, Lucifer didn't know how to respond.

"Well, in the meantime I have my fair share of the both of you don't I?" He said, gently removing Trixie's arms from his neck.

"Do you like us staying here?"She asked earnestly. "Promise I won't tell mom."

Lucifer coughed, fidgeting from foot to foot. "I could live without having to be quiet in my own home after eight, and that I can't have a bloody drink in front of you, apparently that's setting a bad example. And you get quite unbearable whenever I pick you up from school," He licked his lips, grin betraying him. "But I suppose you can be tolerable every now and then."

Trixie smiled toothly up at him. "Can you keep a secret?" She whispered, holding up her pinkie finger.

"What are you doing?"

"It's a pinky promise." Trixie rolled her eyes up at him.

He should tell Chloe to stop doing that in front of her, it was getting quite annoying.

Lucifer only sighed, mouth forming into a scowl. "Must I touch you?"

Trixie glared, in what he thought was, exasperation. "Can you promise or not?"

"Very well," He accepted, locking pinkies, grimacing at the contact."My lips are sealed."

Trixie once again leaned back, stealing a glance at the still empty elevator.

"I don't wanna leave,"She admitted, in that small little voice of hers. "I really like living with you here, and mom's really happy, she doesn't look tired that much," She shrugged one shoulder. "I don't wanna go."

The internet said that children should talk to their parents about issues, Lucifer certainly wasn't the child's parent. Did it not know the rules?

She probably didn't know the rules.

"Why don't you tell this to your mother?"

Trixie stared blankly at him, a guilty blush tilting her ears."Cause I don't want to bother her, she's already stressed," She said while biting her lip, more like her mother every day, Lucifer muses to himself. "But I really like my new home."

Lucifer had nothing to say to that, and for probably the first time in millennia, he kept his mouth shut.

He quickly removed their pinkies.

"Are you really the devil?"

"Unfortunately."

"Do you miss your old home?"

"What?" He mumbled into his drink.

Water, because Chloe would have his head otherwise,

Trixie pointed up to the ceiling. "Up there."

Ah, yes, of course. The big bad 'H' word that everyone wants to end up in. Where Chloe and her child no doubt will go when their eyes fade and their skin goes cold and they no longer bare life with him.

Heaven, yes, it's always about those golden gates.

"That was never my home Beatrice," He said, almost shyly, motioning to the apartment."This is."

"With me and mom?" She asks excitedly.

Lucifer chuckles. "Yes, I suppose so."

He hopes the child drops it, the internet said that children are bursting with curiosity and that it should be fed, constantly. But she was so tiring it was a wonder the detective managed her all alone.

Trixie did not, in fact, drop it.

"But do you miss it?" She inquired. "Like your family and stuff?"

Uriel, Uriel.

"Occasionally," Lucifer avoided her eyes. Uriel, Uriel. "But I was a different entity then, who I am now and who I was are nowhere near the same person. My Father made sure of that."

Trixie's lip jutted out in a sad pout. "Your dad sounds really mean."

"That is the understatement of the year child." He let out a sad chortle.

"Why don't you call me by my real name?" Trixie asked.

Lucifer eyed her. "Would you like me to?"

She shook her head no. "I like your nicknames for me. It's really funny when you call me 'spawn' in front of people."

"Can you tell me your real name?"

"How do you-." He started, suspicion rising, it immediately deflated to nothing once he remembered who she had been living with."Ah, Maze."

Because who else?

"Please Lucifer? Maze said it was a secret but I promise I'll never tell anyone!"

It was odd because if the child had done research (although with very limited skill) he was sure his name would have popped up somewhere. Because before he was Lucifer he was Samuel before he was the devil he was an angel. And he had not allowed that name to escape his mouth in millennia, he cut off a poor demons tongue for even whispering it. He wasn't Samuel, he didn't want to be him anymore, he was a weak-willed bloke who was obsessed with pleasing father and father alone.

He would never be Samuel again, would never allow himself to become him again.

But the child was asking, begging, up at him with those horrible eyes. He couldn't stand it when she cried, he lost two good suit jackets that day after all.

"You must never say it again Beatrice." He began, the child already smiling like she won.

"Deal."

She stuck out her pinkie.

"Must never utter it ever again, not to your mother, your friends," He flashed his eyes for a moment, it only managed to get a giggle out of her. "No one."

"Promise." She agreed.

There was a beat of silence.

"Samuel." He mumbled in resentment.

"Samuel." She whispered in awe.

The elevator doors startled them both.

That's how Chloe found them, both leaning across the bar on their elbows, pinkies interlocked. They stared at her, bugged eyed and pulled away abruptly. Chloe knew better than to ask what the were doing, she wouldn't get an answer anyways, that didn't stop her from eyeing them as they ate dinner. They kept peering at each other through their pizza slices, going into a fit of giggles every now and again. Lucifer muttered 'butt hat' into his slice and it took ten minutes to calm them down.

Chloe didn't bother asking why Trixie had her fingers crossed behind her back when she came in.

She'd never tell her anyways.

~.~

"-And like, I know it's a movie and they're all actors, but I couldn't help it you know? I grew up watching these movies with my brothers and this is the culmination of ten years worth of work! All of a sudden I got this huge nostalgia blow because all of a sudden I'm back in Detroit watching pirated Robert Downey Jr with all my brothers. So like, obviously I'm gonna get emotional, I knew that but still, ya know? As soon as I come out of the theater, I just like, didn't say anything the whole drive over. But then I like, completely lose it as soon as I get home, my roommate had to literally pick me off the floor. Oof, it was one helluva weekend dude. How was your's?"

Ella bit her cheek in embarrassment when she was met with only silence, she hated when she rambled.

Idiot, idiot, idiot.

She looked up, ready to apologize to Chloe ("yeah I know, too much chatter, me and my therapist are working on it") only to notice the woman was caught staring at the closed blinds. Unmoving and unblinking, Ella realized Chloe wasn't paying attention.

On any other day, she may have been slightly hurt, slightly, but she knew Chloe. The women had a record of being cold and distant around the precinct, but that couldn't be any more false. Chloe was warm and caring to the people who deserved it, her trust did not come freely, Ella liked to consider herself worthy of Chloe's patient smile and kind ears.

"Yo, you okay Chlo?" Ella asked, touching the woman's shoulder lightly.

Chloe immediately snapped out of her trance, jumping slightly. "No, yeah, sorry El," Smiling apologetically, Chloe shook her head. "I'm just a little out of it."

Ella waved a dismissing hand. "Don't worry about it," She walked back to the examination table, and began to rock on the tips of her toes. "Hey, so how's it going crashing with the devil?"

Ella didn't miss how Chloe stiffened, how she went to cracking her hands, and how her face lit up. "Lucifer's," She started, exhaling deeply. "Actually been really great, we have a really nice rhythm going on. He and Trixie are… surprisingly getting close, I'm still on the fence about that."

"But it's good?" Ella inquired, grinning smugly.

Chloe nodded ."Yeah, it's good."

"Ugh, dude you're so lucky, you got someone cute making you breakfast every day, cleaning up your place, open bar every day," Ella grumbled, sorting out old files she left out for weeks. "Wanna know what I had for breakfast?"

"What?"

"A nice serving of nothing, man my blood sugar is sooo gonna kill me later," Ella exclaimed before quirking her head to the side. "You look happy though, I'm glad, it's been a while since Lucifer came in here but he looks good too." Her eyes immediately lit up and she spun on her heels to face Chloe, who couldn't help the jolt that ran through her body.

"Oh! Hey, guess what-I hugged him and guess what he did?" Chloe, foolish Chloe, opened her mouth as if she would have the chance to speak."He hugged me back!"

Chloe's eyes widened, Lucifer avoided classic Lopez hugs like the plague. She wanted to ask why he thrived on sexual contact, but could only manage a stiff pat on the back and an uncomfortable chuckle when it came to Ella's warm hugs. In fact, she did once, Trixie was working on her homework on the balcony, her favorite spot, she insisted. Lucifer's smile faltered for the briefest of seconds and said it was because he was so unused to someone offering him comfort, putting his desires first, not having any of their own.

It damn near broke her heart.

Ella nodded eagerly at Chloe's star-struck expression. "Yeah, I know, at first I was all 'aww poor dudes' going through somethin' but he was like, really freaking happy. I mean I checked my wallet after just in case, but nope- dude was for real. I totally thought he was high on something."

It was silent for a while, Ella's humming of 'Come A Little Bit Closer' filled the room.

Chloe bit her lip, unsure, Chloe Decker was never unsure."Hey Ella, can I ask you something kinda personal?"

Sensing this, Ella immediately dropped the heavy files, moving to close all the blinds, Ella sat down in her chair and wheeled over in front of Chloe. Smiling gently, Chloe mentally thanked whoever was up there that she had an Ella in her life. "Sure, yeah. What's up?"

"Did you," Chloe coughed awkwardly, fidgeting in the uncomfortable stool. "Pray a lot, like as a kid?"

"Believe it or not, but no," At Chloe's' suspicious look, Ella couldn't help but laugh. "I know right? But growing up, religion was shoved down my throat a lot you know? So I kinda rebelled, spitting out confession, skipping church, basically, I didn't do anything because my family did it and I didn't want to listen to them. I obviously grew out of it though."

Chloe nodded thoughtfully.

"Did you?" Ella asked as she leaned forward, twirling a neon pink pen between her chipped painted fingers. "You totally don't have to tell me, I'm just nosy."

Chloe pursed her lips in deep consideration. "Once, I think. Some kids in my class were talking about guardian angels or something like that, so that day I prayed that my dad would come home safe to see if it worked," She shrugged her shoulders and coughed uncomfortably. "He got shot on the job, broke four ribs and had to go into the ICU and I gave up on all that."

Ella wrinkled her nose, Chloe was glad it wasn't in pity. "Yikes, how old were you?"

"Six."

Ella whistled. "So I'm guessing you're still superstitious huh?" Ella chuckled, she was about to get up but one look at Chloe and she stopped mid-movement. "Chloe, hey, what's up?"

Chloe wanted to lie.

Say it was nothing, just that living with Lucifer and his devil crap was slowly getting to her, and I should really get back to work but thanks for listening El, call you later?

But it was Ella, who stopped working just to sit and listen, and that was all it took for Chloe to cave and spill.

"It's just that I heard Trixie praying last night, and I don't what to do," She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air."I don't want to confront her about it because I don't want her to be ashamed of it, but we've never really been religious. I mean, the only times we went to church was when Dan's family visited. I don't want her keeping any secrets, I want her to feel like she can talk to me." Chloe sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Ella frowned. "Chloe, hey, look at me," She leaned forward to grasp Chloe's hand into her own, smaller one. Chloe noticed it was soft but just as calloused and rough as her own, not at all dainty. "You're a great mom, and I really mean that. Look, maybe Trixie's getting into it because of Lucifer, dude has issues but I'm guessing that's because his family was really religious too. I feel that."

"So, I should just ride it out?" Chloe asked.

"Exactly, prayer is sort of confiding in someone you know? It's revealing a part of yourself you wouldn't let anyone else see, it's really special, for any religion. But I mean that's just my take," She clarified, twirling her cross between her fingers. "It's kind of a private thing, but if it's something really Important I promise Trixie'll come to you."

Only Ella could make her feel such at ease. "Thanks, Ella."

"Did I help? Tell me I did, at least a little bit." She exclaimed, holding tighter to their intertwined hands.

"Of course you did," And Chloe truly meant that. She smiled so wide her cheeks "Thanks, babe."

Ella grinned as her chest straightened, she refused to admit it was pride that was running through her veins, mostly because she wasn't like that. But Chloe didn't give out pet names all that easily, it was cute cutesy and Chloe Decker didn't do that.

But spunky, mentally ill and nerdy Ella Lopez was her one great exception.

(And Trixie, obviously)

Rising from her seat, Ella went to take a sip from her coffee mug, sweet sweet caffeine. "Did you hear what she said?"

"No, I only heard who she was praying to, but I felt bad and stopped."

Ella's face lit up."Ooh, who was it? Ten years of Sunday school have literally been preparing me for this moment, I had to memorize almost all the angels, which sucked but hey, I did it!" Chloe smiled and Ella put a pause on the rampant babbling. "Sorry, who was it?"

Chloe scratched her forehead. "Uh, Samuel I think? Doesn't sound very angelic, sound familiar?"

It was then that Ella spat out her coffee, briefly choking on the liquid that when down her throat. She began to laugh like an absolute maniac, wiping away the stray liquid that dribbled down her chin. Because god Lucifer, of fucking course he would. She attempted to speak but each time she calmed herself, all she had to do was look at Chloe and begin laughing all over again.

"Woah, Ella, are you okay?"

She moved her arms around and pounded her chest to clear her windpipes.

O….kay?

Peirce decided then to show up, bursting open the door without warning. "Decker. We got a lead lets go, Lopez, ride with Espinoza."

Ella gave him a weak thumbs up, still a mess with laughter.

It was hours later that Chloe finally got a verbal response, it came in a text when Chloe was laying comfortable on Lucifer's couch, feet tucked in, reading an old book she hadn't picked up in ages.

Chloe laughed into her novel as she read and re-read the message.

'HEyy! Sorry for pulling an exorcist on u, but Samuels the angel that got kicked out (Lucifer lol *devil emoji*) once I got in trouble for saying his name out loud in church once, man did I get it lol...anyways night!'

Chloe sent her a string of heart emojis.

~.~

The minute Chloe made it to the penthouse, all she thought was thank Christ it's Friday.

Until she heard heels clicking, wondering around the place, the sound ringing in her hears.

Before she could register what she was doing, she reached for her gun and pointed it around the room, calling out to whoever was there to show themselves. She was already inching to the emergency button Lucifer installed, already she was reaching for her phone, ready to beg Lucifer to stay put and keep her daughter safe.

She heard footsteps, pointed her gun at the noise.

And came face to gun with Maze, because if anyone could break into a club with the best security in the world, of course, it would be Maze.

"Chill the hell out Decker." She mumbled, pushing away the weapon with a razor-sharp nail.

Chloe's shoulders slumped, she placed a hand to her chest, her racing heartbeat betraying her smile. "Maze!"

Maze willed herself not to smile back, it was almost out too easy to allow herself to get carried away and forget. Because Decker had this fucking killer smile that made you feel like absolute an if you ignored it.

One month, some odd weeks later and that still hasn't changed.

Chloe kept at it though, her eyes wrinkled with glee. "What're you doing here?" And suddenly she noticed the scar above Mazes cheek and the forming bruise on her neck and that's all she wrote. "Are you okay? I've tried calling you but your phone keeps going to voicemail. I tried tracing your phone but it wouldn't work."

Maze rolled her eyes, raising a scarred eyebrow. "Relax, I'll be gone in a sec, just came to check up."

"Nice place." She whistled, not so innocently knocking a glass off the bar. "You should've kicked me out a long time ago."

"I never asked you to leave Maze," Chloe corrected because she was most definitely not going to be the villain, there was no way in hell she would feel even more like crap for letting Maze walk out. She wouldn't. "I begged you to stay but you didn't want to, I never kicked you out, don't even think that again because it's not true."

Maze scoffed, lifted a scotch bottle and chugged.

"Lucifer let me and Trix crash for a little bit while I look for a new place," Chloe explained, motioning to the pile of blankets and scattered magazines. "It's all temporary, I thought we'd be gone by now but it's taking forever to look for a place for me and Trixie."

Smacking her lips, Maze eyed Chloe up and down. "You seem to be getting along fine without me," She poured a glass full of whiskey. "Glad to see how much I mattered." And threw the drink back in one large gulp.

Chloe winced in disgust.

"Maze," She started gently, carefully walking over with slow movements, Maze was almost like a deer. A drunk, psychotic deer, but easily skittish nonetheless."I miss you every single day."

"I've lived with you and your," She ever her hands around, sure if there even was a word, to sum up, Maze. "Mazness for a year, you don't just get over that in a day," Chloe confessed, she reached over and grabbed her hand, twirling their fingers together. "I love you Maze, you're one of my best friends, and it hurts knowing you're in pain and I can't do anything about it. You won't let me help you."

"Trixie misses you, she doesn't want to admit it, but that's just because she's hurt over whatever happened between you two. She still won't tell me." Chloe chuckled.

"You loved me?" Maze asked meekly.

Chloe nodded, full intertwining their fingers together. "We still love you Maze, I don't know what happened between you and Lucifer but," Maze snarled, blinking back the tears that began to form, she tried to snatch back her hand but Chloe held it firmly in place. "But you can come back anytime Maze, I mean it, things aren't the same without you."

Maze stared at the ground, she looked so small in her full leather outfit it wasn't even funny. Maze always managed to carry herself with such confidence and cold detachment, it was only a matter of time before it all crumbled away.

She could only manage to speak after a long silence, her voice firm but broken. "You can't love me."

Chloe smirked. "Try me."

Maze rolled her eyes, slowly slipping her hand away from Chloe's until it was balled up at her side. She squared her shoulders, bit her tongue, blinked rapidly and before Chloe could blink she was back to roaming around the bar with such predatory grace it was almost scary. She fiddled with bottle lids and not so subtly tucked a smaller bottle into her jacket.

"Where's Trix?" She asked, trying too hard to sound casual.

Chloe followed her movements with her eyes. "Lucifer took her out to rent Coco, its movie night."

Maze dropped the bottle she was holding. "No fucking way," She threw her head back and erupted into laughter, snorts and giggles and all. "Lucifer? Movie night?"

Chloe joined in, grinning at the very image, she ran a hand through her face. "I know, even I'm still weirded out They're getting along really well, god knows how but," She trailed off, smiling into her hand.

She didn't miss Maze staring intently at her, or how she reached into her pocket, too, out her phone and sent a rapid text.

Mazi to Ass hat:Deals off dick, Deckers off limits, fite me

Not before adding a middle finger emoji, of course.

"Guess you guys replaced me good." She huffed.

"Maze-" Chloe began, ready to convince Maze to stay at least for the night.

Maze only raised a finger, already storming off "I gotta go."

She already pushed the elevator button, and really Chloe shouldn't push her right now. It's just now that Maze finally made an effort to contact her, who knows when this will happen again. It takes everything in Chloe not to jump on Maze and demand an answer, an apology, anything.

She doesn't, but she just can't do nothing.

"Hey, wait," Chloe called out, wrapping her arm around Mazes wrist, gently laying her other hand on her waist, pulling the woman close. "Come here."

Mazes eyes widened "Trying to get fresh with me Decker?" She teased with a lick of her lips.

All innuendos died in her throat when Chloe wrapped her arms around the smaller women, her hand coming up to knot into Mazes frizzy hair. She rubbed soothing circles on her scalp and laid her head in the crook of her neck. "We miss you Maze, so so much," She whispered. "Please come home."

The elevator opened, Maze pushed Chloe off her slowly and marched inside. Her arms hugging her, tight.

"Tell Trix I'm sorry," She said in a small voice, the corners of her lips quirked up. "And tell Lucifer to rot in hell."

"Stay safe, please." Chloe pleaded, the elevator doors slowly closing.

Maze flipped her off, which, honestly was the best response she could get.

Five minutes later and the elevator doors opened, Chloe sprang up from her spot on the couch. "Ma-."

"Mom! Look!" Trixie exclaimed, skipping over to Chloe, holding two disks in her hand and a bag of sweets in the other. "We got Coco and Thor! Lucifer said we can watch both if I'm good!"

Lucifer emerged a second later, munching happily on a red vine.

Chloe's eye began to water. "That sounds great babe."

Trixie Grindr and went to insert the DVD, Lucifer lingered behind, eyeing her as she rubbed her eyes furiously.

"Chloe?" He asked, resting a hand on the small of her back. "Are you alright?"

Her phone buzzed, she snuck a peek at the message, and almost immediately her face broke out into a smile. "I'm great." She gently pushed passed him to call out. "Come on, who wants popcorn?"

"Me!" Trixie screamed.

Lucifer wasn't nosy, but she did leave her phone out in the open, for anyone to read so if anything it was Chloe's fault. He handed it to her soon after, she just thanked him and stuffed it in her back pocket and that was, how they say, was that. And although didn't recognize the number, he new Maze.

'I'm out on a job, be back in three days, don't wait up and don't text me'

And the following devil emojis just screamed Mazikeen.

_

She woke up with her head on Lucifer's lap.

The night was slowly coming back to her, somewhere between the final credits Trixie had fallen asleep, Lucifer offered to carry her to his bed to which she accepted happily. Once she knocked out, Chloe laid beside her, patted the spot next to her for Lucifer to join her.

Just for a minute, she said, just to talk, she insisted.

Lucifer sat upright with his arms crossed loosely, leaning against the bed frame, with one of those head pillows cradling his neck because god forbid his highness to get a cramp. Trixie snored softly against her side, a small trail of drool escaping her mouth. Chuckling at the sight, Chloe tucked her further inside the bed, it was too early to get everyone up just yet.

Carefully rising, so as not to stir either one awake, Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt harsh vibrations in her…..butt?

Phone idiot, someone's calling' She thought to herself.

Rolling her eyes at her own ridiculousness, Chloe got her phone out of her pocket and grimaced at the name flashing across the screen.

Arrieannah.

She asked Arrieannah to call if she had any updates on the apartment she was over heels in love with just a few days ago. With the great location and amazing recommendations. The one with the extra guest room, and two bathrooms, she could really use the two bathrooms.

Lucifer has one bathroom, but two sinks, a shower, and a bath. The new apartment only has a shower, and it is kinda small. Trixie admitted it once, in prayer, (To Lucifer, technically) that she really, really liked staying at Lux.

Please Sam, please let me and mommy stay?

Please?

Chloe's finger hovered over the 'Accept' option for a few seconds, rubbing her eyes blearily she made the mistake of peaking at Lucifer's bed. Trixie had thrown her legs onto Lucifer's lap, her arms twisting uncomfortably around her but she still remained asleep. Chloe couldn't remember Trixie sleeping as soundly as she currently was (that was a lie, it was with Maze whenever they would crash on the couch, but this was a very close second). But what truly did it for her was Lucifer and that was it, and before she could think-

Chloe hit decline.

Later she would tell Lucifer that someone else had put in a better offer and that what else could Chloe do? Hey Lucifer, if you don't mind, is it okay if we crash here for a little bit more? Lucifer will very badly conceal his glee and make all three of them eggs and pancakes, Trixie will laugh at Lucifers' odd antics and Chloe will need to take ibuprofen to get through the day. Lucifer will know she's lying but won't push.

She refuses to admit it, even to herself, she'll say because she never felt safer than in Lux, that Trixie was thriving, that they could actually pass for some kind of family. Because that's what makes sense, that's what everyone wants to hear.

She refused to believe it was because he was smiling in his sleep.